This invention relates generally to pull-out trays, and more particularly to under-surface mounted pull-out keyboard trays.
The use of personal computers is widespread both at the office and at home. Such widespread use of personal computers has presented challenges to furniture and furniture accessory designers and manufacturers. A primary challenge is that office and office type furniture must be adapted to meet the requirements imposed by such computer systems.
Computer systems require room for display monitors, computer units, and computer keyboards. Display monitors are often placed on a desktop surface. Likewise, computer units are often placed about the desk on the floor or in some other position. Computer keyboards, however, often pose special problems. Preferably, a keyboard is located slightly in front of a display monitor so that a user may easily type on the keyboard while examining the monitor. Thus, users often place keyboards on desk tops directly in front of a monitor. Placing the keyboard on the desktop, however, is often troublesome. Such placement of the keyboard takes up valuable desk space which the user may at times require for other purposes. In addition, desktops are often slightly higher than the height at which ergonomic typing preferably occurs.
Extendably mounting the keyboard underneath a desktop surface, therefore, is often done. Mounting the keyboard under the desktop frees up valuable desk space, as well as positions the keyboard at a height more conducive for typing. Unfortunately, many keyboard trays extend significantly below the desktop such that the keyboard and a tray holding the keyboard reduce the knee space available for a user. Moreover, many such trays provide no room for storage of small objects. Also, tray users may inadvertently injure themselves through contact, particularly of fingers, with the slides during movement. In addition, keyboards generally have associated wiring, and many such known keyboards provide no items for efficient routing of the associated wires. Further, easy yet simple methods of positioning many keyboards, both in terms of amount of extension and of angle of inclination of the keyboard, are often lacking.
The present invention therefore provides a pull-out keyboard tray assembly. The assembly is slidably extendable from a position substantially below a desk top surface to a position extending out from the desk top surface. The assembly comprises a substantially rectangular tray, the tray being defined by a forward edge, a rearward edge, and side edges interconnecting the forward and rearward edges. The assembly further comprises support means for supporting the tray, the support means including a substantially vertical surface having horizontal edge surfaces adapted to support an edge of the tray.
In one embodiment the invention comprises a pull-out keyboard tray assembly with a tray adapted to receive a keyboard. At least one slide is coupled to the tray, the slide having a range of travel. The range of travel of the slide is from retracted position to an extended position, with a partial extended position being between the retracted position and the extended position. In one embodiment the slide is a 34 extension slide, and in one embodiment the slide is a full extension slide. Further, in one embodiment the slide includes a detent at the partial extended position. In an additional embodiment the assembly includes a storage compartment at the rear of the tray, with the tray substantially extending from the desk top surface when the slide is in the partial extended position, but the storage compartment is substantially underneath the desk top surface when the slide is at the partial extended position. And yet another embodiment of the invention, the pull-out keyboard tray assembly comprises a pair of slides adapted for mounting to an underside of a desk top. A keyboard support is coupled to the slides. Protrusions extend upward from the keyboard support surface, with the protrusions adapted to maintain position of a wire. In one embodiment the protrusions extend from slide shrouds coupled to the keyboard support, the slide shrouds substantially enclosing portions of the slides adjacent the keyboard support. In yet further embodiments of the present invention, the assembly includes a palmrest removably coupled to a forward edge of the keyboard support. In one embodiment the palmrest comprises a gel material mounted to a substantially rigid support.
Many of the attendant features of this invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood in a reference to the following detailed description considering connection with the accompanying drawings.